Thunder
by gabby sandefur
Summary: a girl runs away in a thunder story and gets pneumonia


**Thunder**

She didn't know why she was sitting out in the rain. She was wet tired and hurt, her ankle was throbbing because she had hurt it when she tripping over a tree branch when she was walking in the storm. She should go inside the gas station that was across the street but she knew that if she went into the gas station they would ask why she was soaking wet and limping, and she didn't want anyone asking questions so she stayed outside. She was talking to her friend on her phone when she tripped on a tree branch and broke her ankle and phone, she tried to fix it but it was no use. While she sat there she felt sick, her nose was running, her throat felt like sand paper and she was shivering like a car battery. She was scared that someone would come and find her she didn't want her family to find her. If they did all hell would break lose?

It had been about two hours or so since she left and it didn't look like the rain was letting up any, it had gotten worse. She saw flashes of lightning in the sky which made the cars on the highway light up enough for her to see them. She was still sitting on the bench watching cars go to the station then leave, she was looking to see if there was anyone she knew it but there wasn't any one she knew. After 20 minutes she saw a moron van go to the gas station looked familiar but she didn't know why it did, it got gas and left so she put it off as just being sick but about five minutes later the same car pulled up next to the park. A boy about 5'2 with a muscular figure he had glasses and was probably about her age and skinny. Felling scared she tried to get up and walk away then the voice said.

''Hey wait.'' she stops she recognized the voice it was her old friend Ben from school she hadn't talked to in two months what was he doing here.

Once he got in front of her she said "What are you doing here, "she said.

''Aelita called me because she said she was talking to you and you were upset then you hung up the phone.''

''I fell and my phone broke and I think I broke my ankle.'' she was supporting herself by the bench but she could fell her ankle hurting she knew she needed to sit down but she didn't want to let him see her like this but Her ankle buckled under her, after a few seconds he caught her and said.

"Are you okay?"

"Um I think so my ankle just gave out."

She was holding on to his arm as hard as she could she was scared he was going to let go but he didn't. He grabbed her waist and she put her arm around his neck and then they started walking to his car when they got there he knocked on the window and said to the woman inside.

''I found her but she has a broken ankle I think.''

''K gets in.'' Said the woman in the car she was most likely his mother she was about fifty or so with short brown hair and brown eyes, his eyes.

He helped her in the car and they sat in the back so they were sitting next to each other.

''Sorry am getting your car we she said. '' Her voice was shaking the whole time because of how cold she was.

''It's okay.'' The woman said.

Rose put her hand in her lap but Ben picked them up and felt them they were as cold as ice and she was as pale as a ghost no color at all. All of a sudden he got this huge knot in his stomach he didn't know what it was from but he knew he was worried about her.

''Hey might want to hurry she pretty cold.'' He said with a worried voice to the woman driving.

He put a blanket that was sitting next to him on her to try and warm her up.

After about five minutes they turned on a dirt road went down about ten houses then turned into a white house to the right.

''Where here.'' said the woman driving.

**The house **

She unbuckled and put the blanket back where it as because it had stopped raining for a few minutes. He knocked on the door and a tall young girl answered the door she was about 5'2 with short curly brown hair and was a little filled in the waist she looked about twenty or so.

''Who this." she asked as they were coming in.

''This is Rose dawn.'' Ben answered.

Rose looked around and was really nerves she had never been inside a boy's house before; she didn't know how to act. He gestured for her to sit on the sofa that was right next to the door without question she sat down right next to Ben she didn't trust him but he was the only on she knew that was around .He grabbed her hands she pulled back with a glut.

Her hands felt cold as ice she wasn't getting any warmer even inside he thought once they got inside she would warm up but she ''Hey can you go get her some dry clothes.'' Ben asked the young girl.

She went away and got a nightgown Rose went and changed into them then sat back down on the couch.

''Lay down it will make you feel better.'' Ben said.

''Okay thanks.'' She said, she was still cold and shivering

''So how old are you Rose?'' Ben sister asked.

''Am 18, I know Ben since middle school.''

They sat there for a few seconds and then Ben brother came back in with a thermometer and had her take it.

When it beeped it said 96.8.

''Okay I was wrong you don't have a fever but to be safe stay lying down.'' Ben said.

''Okay, ''she said.

''How long were you out there'' His sister asked?

''About 2 hour's maybe.''

''Okay am calling her.''

He picked up the phone and dialed a number. ''Hey I found her, yeah, that fine, k se you soon.''

"That was Aelita, she coming over." Ben said that made Rose happy Aelita was the only person who she wanted around right now.

''So why were you in the storm?''

She sat there for a minute thinking on how she was going to explain it.

''I will explain it when Aelita get here because I don't want to repeat it.''

''So how long have you know Ben.''

''Since 8 grade,''

''So you friends,''

''NO! '' Both Rose and Ben said at the same time. His sister looked offended but there were not friends or not anymore.

''Okay, so how are you feeling any better?'' Ben asked.

''I fell a little bit better but am still cold,'' Rose answered her voice still a little shaky.

''Am going to call your brother,'' Ben mother said?

''Why is she calling your brother,'' Rose asked Ben

''Because he studying the be a doctor he might now what to do.''

A car pulled up in the drive way it was a black corvette.

''That's Aeline I let her in'' Ben said.

''Hey'' he said when he answered the door.

Aelita came over to her and gave her a hug and said.

''Don't scare me like that'' Aelita said and then gave Rose a hug they sat on the couch

Then another car was in the drive way and Ben said.

''That's my brother.''

When Ben brother got into the room Ben told him what he knew and the man sat down next to her.

''Okay so how long were you in the rain.''

'' Probably about 2 hours,'' Rose answered.

''Wow was it poring when you went out there''

''Yeah it has gotten worse since I been out there I guess it knew I wanted to be wet

''Did you have a jacket?''

''Yes but it was socked am just glad Ben found me''

''So why were you in the rain?''

''I ran away'' Rose answer.

**Love at war**

Why did you run away" Ben asked.

''Because I hated it there always getting yelled at, blamed for everything saying I was restarted so I couldn't take it anymore so I left I didn't care if it was pouring out side it was better than being there I couldn't stop crying I just ran and ran I didn't even now were I was going''

''So that why you ran away''

''Yeah and they said I was faking depression to get attention.''

''You have depression?'' Ben brother asked.

''Yeah I have since 8 grades.'' Rose said.

Ben looked at the clock it was 11. ''Wow it's late it like 11pm''

Rose hadn't even thought about the time.

''Okay you have two options you can stay here or go to Aelita.''

''Aelita," Rose said automatically she didn't even had to think about it not with her past with Ben her and him use to be the best of friend now they barley talked that why she was surprised he found her.

''Okay let's go'' Aelita said

Rose and Aelita got up and left for her house when they got there it was 11:30 at night and both were extremely tired rose when to sleep

When Aelita woke up the next morning she went and checked on rose her skin crowed when she saw her she looked even sicker than she did last night she went to tell her mom but her mom was at work so she called Ben.

''Hey, how are you'' Ben said.

''Okay, but Rose is more sick then she was last night.''

''What her temperature'' Ben asked?

''I don't know we went right to bed when we got home.''

''Do you want me to come over to help?''

''Yeah they fine I will see you soon.''

''K sees you in about ten.''

She heard someone moving and saw Rose up she walk into the room where Rose was sleeping.

''Hey how are you felling'' she asked Rose

"A little better, but I think my ankle broken "

Aelita looked at her ankle it wasn't black but it was bent in a weird way and it was a lot bigger than it should have been it looked like she had a ball under her skin.

"Oh yeah, it still swelled up really bad."

"Ben on his, way to help I think he worried about you."

The phone rang and Aelita picked it up it was her mom checking up on them Aelita explained what was going on last night after Rose had fallen asleep. She had already asked if Ben could come over and her mom said yes because she knew he was worried about Rose. The conversation lasted about five minutes after she got off the phone she sat down next to rose and then the doorbell rang.

"That's Ben" Aelita said she let him in and he said

"Hi" and came in.

He sat down next to Rose and Aelita sat on the other side.

"How you doing" Ben asked Rose.

"Am okay" Rose answer.

She looked a little better she had some color to her and she was not crying anymore but she looked clammy so she might have a fever.

"Am going to get the thermometer" Aelita said. After she got it she handed it to Rose and took her tempter it was 103 he was worried it shouldn't be that high he decided to call his brother to see what to do because he was he didn't know what to do.

"Hey it me, yeah 103 what should I do, and if that doesn't work, um okay thanks yeah see you later bye"

Aelita was in the kitchen so he went in there not knowing Rose could hear him.

"That was my brother he said if her fever goes up to take her to the hospital he said.

He looked over at Rose who went pale and looked like she about to start sobbing.

He ran over to her and grabbed her hands which were ice cold he said.

"You're going to be okay" he tried to reassure her.

He saw tears welling up in her eyes and said,

"Come here" he wrapped her in a hug where her head was resting on his chest and his arms were around her. She was crying hard so he stroked her back and just talked to her calmly it took about five minutes for her to calm down once she calm down he let go of her and told her to lie down and went to get some ice for her head which was extremely warm.

"What was that about?" Aelita asked.

"What do you mean I was just helping her to calm down that all, where's your ice"

"Here" she handed him an ice pack, he went to where rose was she was laying there watching a cartoon.

He said, "Put this on your head."

She did and then Ben sat down next to her and they started talking just about anything nothing particular after about an hour Rose stomach started bothering her but she didn't say anything she didn't want it to end the talking to him she wanted it to last but I didn't. She was felling worse by the minute finally she tried to get up but Ben grabbed her arm and said.

"What are you doing?"

"I fell like am about to get sick" Rose said she looked a little green when she tried to stand up.

After him help her sit back down him then got up and got a trashcan and put it next to her. She was frustrated that she couldn't get up but she was glad he was being so nice to her after a minute she had to grab the trash can and got sick Ben grabbed her hair and held it back and rubbed her back it didn't last long.

"Are you okay?" Ben asked after she was done.

"Yeah I think. I didn't want to say anything but I was feeling like this for about an hour"

"Why didn't you say an anything" Aelita asked?"

"Because I thought it would pass, but it didn't."

"Okay well next time tell us" Ben said "man you're burning up am going to take your tempters"

They took Rose temperate again, it had gone up and Ben realized she wasn't going to get any better if she stayed here he pulled Aelita aside for a minute and said,

"We need to take her to the hospital because she is not getting any better and am worried she will get worse"

"Okay but how, I can't drive" Aelita said.

"But I can, do you have a car" Ben asked?

She nodded her head yes and grabbed the keys and gave them to Ben. They went to go get Rose she was laying down on the couch with her ankle on a pillow Ben sat down next to her felt her forehead which was warm and sweeting he said,

"You're not getting any better and were going to Take you to the hospital okay" she nodded her head yes she looked calm just content then she said.

"I can't walk remember am ankle"

He hadn't thought about that then decided he would just carry her because she was not going to be able to walk anytime soon.

"Am ready if you are Ben" Aelita said.

"K rose put your arm around my neck"

She looked at him a little confused then put her arm on his neck luckily he was sitting down so she could reach him. He put his arm under her legs and made she sure she was holding on so she wouldn't fall surprisingly she wasn't that heavy he knew she was skinny but he thought she would weigh more they left the apartment and went to Aelita car and left for the hospital. Ben was driving and Rose and Aelita were in the back. Rose had a blanket over her she was shivering when he was caring her to the car so they put a blanket over her. Ben knew the way because his mom had medical problems so he was use to driving to the hospital they got on the highway in the middle of lunch hour so traffic was a little crazy. He hated driving in this because people not caring who was in there way they drive crazy it took they about fifteen minutes to get there.

It was not that busy they parked the closest as they could. Ben carried Rose in even though she tried to protest he didn't listen to her they got the forms and Rose filled them out Rose was use to filling out forms she was use to going to the doctor on her own her parent were never really around mom was a business woman always on here phone with clients and her dad was a workhouse worker so he worked in the evening and was asleep the rest of the time so when she was sick or hurt she would get on a bus and take herself to where ever she needed to go. It took about twenty minutes for the doctor to see them and he brought them back he said,

"Well you are sick and we would like to keep you overnight just in case the fever spikes again okay, he nodded and said, I will leave you alone for a few minutes"

When the doctor left it was silent for a few minutes then Rose said.

"I guess am more sick then I thought. What are we going to do I can't stay here"

"Yes you can you kind of have to so you can get better and it will give us time to figure out where you going to stay when you get out" Ben said.

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked

"Rose you can't go back there you been so depressed becase of what going on there you CAN"T go back there"

"Okay so now you care becase last I chaecked you didn't care at all until I got hurt or was depressed" Rose said.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ben asked

She coughed then said.

"You didn't even talk to me for the last month then all of a sudden when am hurt and run away you care"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do you only cares when al hurt and that hurt more than anything"

"Rose I… "Ben started to say but he was interrupted by the doctor

"Okay time to get you checked in" the doctor came in and said

"Okay" Rose said then she pulled herself of the bed and into the wheel chair that the doctor had brought in then she followed the doctor Aelita and Ben followed them till they got to the door to leave it was 2:30 they left and got on the highway want to go back to my house a said.

"Sure it will give us time to talk about what to do know" Ben looked straight at the road as he drove never once looking at Aelita face. His face was full of worry and anger Aelita didn't know what had gone on between them but she knew it hurt Rose a lot when they got back at her house they went in and let her dog out then sat on the sofa.

"So know what we do" Ben asked

"Um I think we need to figure out what we're going to do with Rose" Aelita said

"Yeah she can't go back to that house I won't let her" Ben said

"How are you going to stop her when you can't even talk to her?" Aelita responded

"I don't know what she talking about I do talk to her when she not hurting"

"Do you, I see where she sees it. What is the deal with you two, you look like you like each other but there like a mounting?"

"Yeah we have a long history"

Well I got nothing but time, spill

He looked at her for a few seconds and wondered if he should tell her what went on between them

"Okay but you CAN'T tell anyone"

**Patience **

The doctor escorted Rose to a room with two beds and then told her that the one on the left would be hers for the night she sat down the doctor told her they were going to a cat scan to see if there was anything in her lungs she nodded her head and waited for the nurse to get her it took the nurse about fifteen minutes to get her. They had her change into a hospital gown for some reason her heart was pounding and her breath was thin. She was nerves that something would be wrong with her the doctor told her to lay down and to stay completely still and not move at all because it would mess up the scan. It took an hour and a half, when they got done she went back to her room and took a nap she was exhausted from all that went on

She started dreaming that Ben and her were in a hallway in the school, nobody was around just the two of them staring at each other saying nothing but then Ben started talking but she couldn't hear him or understand him she keep trying to say she couldn't hear him then she saw a tear fun down his face as he walked. As he turn away she tried to go after him but there was a wall holding her where she was he walked away and then disappeared

She woke with a jolt it was five in in the afternoon she turned the TV on and tried to get her mind off of him she watched nurses and doctor pass by and waited for one of them to come in and tell her what came up on the cat scan it was like waiting for a hurricane in Egypt.

At an apartment Ben was about to tell Aelita how him and Rose had met

He said it started in the 8 grade we had the same English class it was the first few weeks of school I kept to myself and she did the same thing just keeping to people she knew about a month into school we were assigned a project and had to have a partner and I didn't know anyone in that class so I scooted my desk next to hers then asked if she wanted to be partners and she said

'Sure what book do you want to do?" Rose asked

We had to pick a book to do a project over we popped out a few ideas then decided on Percy Jackson for the rest of the hour which was half an hour and just talked about their summer and what classes they were each talking.

"So when do you want to work on this again." Rose asked

"Um how about lunch we could talk about how we want to present are project okay do you want to meet by met locker because it right by the cafeteria."

"Okay I met you there" Rose said.

" The bell rang next and school was over I left and went home so the next day at lunch we met up and talked about the project then the next week we did pretty so we weren't talking about the project we were becoming friends. After we turned in the project we still hung out. Right before Christmas break I noticed she was get depresses I didn't want to be nosey so I didn't ask what was wrong then one day at lunch I couldn't find her so I went walking around outside it was a bright day outside so a lot pf people were outside and I found her by the gym crying her eyes out. I sat down next to her and asked what was wrong she said that she was."

"So that how we met and after that she didn't mention what happened no matter what I asked she wouldn't talk to me about it. Then she met a boy in one of her classes and they started dating and then she didn't even say hi to me it wasn't her boyfriend it was her I don't know why but it hurt seeing her with him I am still not sure but the eventually broke but after she was never the same I don't know what happened to make her change that much but she wasn't the same person anymore, but I was.

"How long ago was that she asked?" Aelita

"It was last year and a little during the summer she and that guy broke up during the summer and I tried talking to her but she didn't want anything to do with me."

"Wow, so why did you go and find her then." Aelita

He sat there for a minute and thought about it he hadn't really thought about it he said

"Because I knew it if I didn't I would regret it and I think if I didn't she would be even more sick then she is now"

"I wonder how she holding up in there, I hated it when I was there" she said

"When were you in the hospital?" Ben asked

"When I was ten I had surgery on my foot so had to stay in the hospital for three or four days I think so I know how lonely it can get even though my parents were there they couldn't be there the whole time" "so at night and in the morning I would be lonely because the nurses wouldn't talk to me even when I tried to talk to them"

"That sucks so what did you do"

"I watched TV and waited for my parents"

"Yeah I wonder what rose is doing, I hope she doesn't blame herself she always takes the blame for things that aren't her fault"

"I know maybe we should go see how she doing"

"That sounds more fun than being here"

They got in the car and heeded to the hospital. They checked in at the receptionist and went to Rose room she was lying in bed watching TV she looked miserable and tired he knocked on the door it made her jump then when she saw him her face light up with a smile and she was so happy to see them

"So this is your room"

"Yeah the doctor said that my MRI will help them figure out what wrong with me we did that about an hour ago"

"How long do you have to wait till it comes back?" Aelita asked

"I don't know they didn't say, I have been waiting for about an hour now is so bored but it feels good lying down"

"I bet" Ben said. Ben sat down next to her and a grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to the bed and she looked like she had slept

"So you feel better, I mean you look better" Ben said and she did her cheeks were rosy again and she had some color to her

"Yeah a bit I still felt a little tired and my throat fell like sand paper" They heard a knock at the door it was the doctor he was holding a clipboard he said

"Hello Am Doctor Harvey."

"Hi this is Ben and Aelita" she gestured to her friends

"So I have your MRI and everything looks good but you have fluid in your lungs so this means you have pneumonia which is easily treatable with antibiotics then once we get you those you can go home"

"So she can go home tonight" asked Ben

"Yes that exactly what am saying" the doctor walked out

Rose looked like she was about to cry "I-can't –I"

"We know you can't go home and you don't have to" Ben grabbed her hand and started to stroke it

"So what am I going to do?"

"We were just talking about that to be honesty what I think is best is if you stay at Aelita house and live there" Rose looked over at a she nodded yes.

Rose liked the idea but she didn't know what to think about how her family would react but she was 18 now she could move out. She was ready she been ready for a while just didn't have enough money and no one to stay with but when Aelita offered, something inside her light up for the first time in months

"I would love that but what about my stuff at my house and my family"

"They treat you like crap, why would you want to go back there"

"Because there my family and I don't know, am so confused right now, I want to leave but at the same time am scared about what they're going to do"

"We know Aelita said and you are going to be safe with us I promise nothing is going to happen to you"

"Thanks, hey Aelita can me and ben talk for a minute alone if that's okay"

"Yeah sure" She said

Aelita left and left Ben sitting on the edge of the bed right next to Rose he looked confused but he was smiling

"So what did you want to talk about Ben asked?"

"Um I wanted to know… why you came looking for me"

"Why I came and found you. I came and found you because you ran away in a thunder storm no offense but not the smartest thing"

"Yeah but you could have easily said no and not come and found me"

"Then you would be a lot sicker then you are now"

"I know but you haven't talk to me in three months then all of a sudden when a calls you and says I ran away you come to the rescue. Do you know how hurt I was when you told me you wanted nothing to do with me so what up?"

He sat there for a minute biting his lip "I was just as hurt when you got your new boyfriend and stopped talking to me"

She didn't expect that she thought that was what he wanted plus her boyfriend then was very clingy

"I only did that because I was trying to get you to like me because I thought you liked me too but when I met tom he swept me off my feet I was done waiting for you"

"What? You liked me I didn't know I just thought we were just friends like best friends"

"I know but when you felt like that I didn't that why I and tom broke up"

"What do you mean am confused?"

"I and tom block up because I couldn't stop thinking about you I couldn't get over you and it wasn't fair to Tom"

He sat there thinking for a minute she had always stood out to him like a red rose in a field of white dandelions when she was around he couldn't think straight so yes he did like her and he knew what he needed to do

"Yes I do like you I might have for a while I just didn't realize it"

Ben saw a smile appear on her face he hadn't seen her smile without someone trying to make her smile in a while and it made him smile to see her happy he knew the last couple day's hadn't been easy on her

"So now what" she asked

"We get you better then you can go home with Aelita or me we are not letting you back in that house"

"So I can leave the hospital" Rose asked

"Yeah, that's what the doctor said He said as long as you take you medicine and stay off that ankle you will be good"

"He said they are going to put a boot on it so It will get better I will have to be on crunches for like two months"

"Well that just means we get to spend more time together" Ben said

"What do you mean?"

"Well if you can't walk you will want some company and am sure Aelita wouldn't object to a little extra help talking care of you"

"Okay but what does that mean for us?" Rose asked

"Us, what do you mean?" Ben asked

"I mean are we friends, more than friends, not friends what are we."

Ben grabbed her hand and started stroking it, then looked up at her and stared deep into her eyes for a minute. He moved closer to her to where the knee that was on the bed was touching the side of her thigh. She was looking down at the sight of his hand on hers until he moved his hand to her chin, lifted it up, and kissed her.

"Okay wow why did you do that"

"Because I care about you and it just seed like the right time to do it are you okay"

"Yeah I think just shocked that's all I liked it I did am just shaken up a little bit that all"

"Why are your shaken up?"

"Because when I was younger I was harassed and now whenever I kiss someone it bring back the memory am not upset though am happy"

She was, he could see it but he could see that she was hurting and he didn't know how to help

"Was it tom?"

No not tom it doesn't matter


End file.
